Consumable assembly for use in extrusion-based layered deposition systems

ABSTRACT

A consumable assembly comprising a container portion configured to retain a supply of filament, a guide tube connected to the container portion, and a pump portion connected to the guide tube.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/485,005, filed Sep. 12, 2014; which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/287,775, filed May 27, 2014 and issued as U.S.Pat. No. 8,864,482; which is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/775,966, filed Feb. 25, 2013, and issued as U.S. Pat. No.8,808,603; which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/811,411, filed on Jul. 1, 2010, and issued as U.S. Pat. No.8,403,658; which is the national phase of International PatentApplication No. PCT/US2009/000052, filed on Jan. 7, 2009, which claimspriority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/010,399, filed onJan. 8, 2008, each of which is entitled “Consumable Assembly For Use InExtrusion-Based Layered Deposition Systems”, and the disclosures ofwhich are incorporated by reference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to extrusion-based layered depositionsystems for building three-dimensional (3D) objects with rapidprototyping/manufacturing techniques. In particular, the presentinvention relates to consumable materials for use in extrusion-basedlayered deposition systems.

An extrusion-based layered deposition system (e.g., fused depositionmodeling systems developed by Stratasys, Inc., Eden Prairie, Minn.) isused to build a 3D object from a computer-aided design (CAD) model in alayer-by-layer manner by extruding a flowable build material. The buildmaterial is extruded through an extrusion tip carried by an extrusionhead, and is deposited as a sequence of roads on a substrate in an x-yplane. The extruded build material fuses to previously deposited buildmaterial, and solidifies upon a drop in temperature. The position of theextrusion head relative to the substrate is then incremented along az-axis (perpendicular to the x-y plane), and the process is thenrepeated to form a 3D object resembling the CAD model.

Movement of the extrusion head with respect to the substrate isperformed under computer control, in accordance with build data thatrepresents the 3D object. The build data is obtained by initiallyslicing the CAD model of the 3D object into multiple horizontally slicedlayers. Then, for each sliced layer, the host computer generates a buildpath for depositing roads of build material to form the 3D object.

In fabricating 3D objects by depositing layers of build material,supporting layers or structures are typically built underneathoverhanging portions or in cavities of objects under construction, whichare not supported by the build material itself. A support structure maybe built utilizing the same deposition techniques by which the buildmaterial is deposited. The host computer generates additional geometryacting as a support structure for the overhanging or free-space segmentsof the 3D object being formed. Support material is then deposited from asecond nozzle pursuant to the generated geometry during the buildprocess. The support material adheres to the build material duringfabrication, and is removable from the completed 3D object when thebuild process is complete.

SUMMARY

The present invention relates to a consumable assembly for building 3Dobjects with an extrusion-based layered deposition system. Theconsumable assembly includes a container portion configured to retain asupply of filament, a guide tube connected to the container portion, anda pump portion connected to the guide tube, and configured to extrude amaterial of the filament in a flowable state.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a unit for building 3D objectswith a consumable assembly.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a consumable assembly.

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the consumable assembly.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a container portion of theconsumable assembly.

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of a first alternative consumableassembly, which includes a drive motor.

FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of an alternative unit for building3D objects with multiple consumable assemblies.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second alternative consumableassembly.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of a container portion of the second alternativeconsumable assembly, where a bottom of the container portion is open.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a spool assembly of the secondalternative consumable assembly, where the spool assembly is partiallydisassembled.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the spool assembly of the secondalternative consumable assembly.

FIG. 11 is a top perspective view of a guide tube and a pump portion ofthe second alternative consumable assembly.

FIG. 12 is top perspective view of the guide tube and the pump portionof the second alternative consumable assembly, where a casing of thepump portion is open.

FIG. 13 is top perspective view of the guide tube and the pump portionof the second alternative consumable assembly, where a casing of thepump portion is open and a filament is fully inserted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a front view of unit 10 for building 3D objects with one ormore consumable assemblies, where the consumable assemblies may bediscarded or recycled after use. Unit 10 includes system 12, controller14, host computer 16, and consumable assembly 18, where system 12 is anextrusion-based layered manufacturing system for building 3D objects(e.g., 3D object 20). Suitable systems for system 12 include fuseddeposition modeling systems developed by Stratasys, Inc., Eden Prairie,Minn. Controller 14 is a computer-operated controller in signalcommunication with system 12 and host computer 16 for controlling system12. Host computer 16 is a computer-based system that interacts withsystem 12 via controller 14 to build 3D object 20. Host computer 16generates the build data from a CAD model (not shown) corresponding to3D object 20, and relays the build data to controller 14.

System 12 includes build chamber 22, extrusion head assembly 24, andsubstrate assembly 26. Build chamber 22 is a build environment thatcontains extrusion head assembly 24, substrate assembly 26, and at leasta portion of consumable assembly 18 for building 3D object 20 with abuild material supplied from consumable assembly 18. For fuseddeposition modeling, build chamber 22 is desirably heated to an elevatedtemperature to increase build efficiencies and to reduce distortions in3D object 20.

Extrusion head assembly 24 includes x-y gantry 28, extrusion mount 30,and drive motor 32. Extrusion mount 30 retains a portion of consumableassembly 18 during a build operation, and is supported by x-y gantry 28.Drive motor 32 is a motor that engages consumable assembly 18 during thebuild operation for extruding the build material from consumableassembly 18 based on signals provided from controller 14. In thisembodiment, drive motor 32 is also supported by extrusion mount 30.Accordingly, during the build operation, controller 14 directs x-ygantry to move extrusion mount 30 and drive motor 32 around buildchamber 22 in a horizontal x-y plane, and directs drive motor 32 toextrude the build material from consumable assembly 18. This selectivelydeposits the build material to form 3D object 20 in a layer-by-layermanner on substrate assembly 26. Substrate assembly 26 is a moveableplatform, such as the platform disclosed in Dunn et al., U.S.Publication No. 2005/0173855. Accordingly, controller 14 directssubstrate assembly 26 incrementally move along a z-axis during a buildprocess, thereby allowing successive layers of 3D object 20 to be built.

Consumable assembly 18 is a disposable assembly that include a supply ofbuild material in a filament form (not shown in FIG. 1), and alsoincludes one or more components required to extrude the build materialfilament. As shown, consumable assembly 18 includes container portion34, guide tube 36, and pump portion 38. While container portion 34 ofconsumable assembly 18 is illustrated in FIG. 1 as being positioned atan offset location relative to system 12, container portion 34 isdesirably mounted in a loading bay of system 12 (not shown), therebyallowing container portion 34 to be securely retained to system 12.Container portion 34 is the portion of consumable assembly 18 thatincludes the supply of the build material filament.

Guide tube 36 is a flexible tube that interconnects container portion 34and pump portion 38, and guides the build material filament fromcontainer portion 34 to pump portion 38. Pump portion 38 is the portionof consumable assembly 18 that is retained by extrusion mount 30, andengages with drive motor 32. As discussed below, pump portion 38includes a drive mechanism (not shown in FIG. 1) and a liquefier (notshown in FIG. 1), where drive motor 32 engages with the drive mechanismto feed successive portions of the filament to the liquefier. Thesuccessive portions of the filament are then melted within the liquefierand extruded from pump portion 38 to build 3D object 20 on substrateassembly 26.

As discussed above, consumable assembly 18 may be discarded, recycled,or otherwise handled after the supply of the build material filament isemptied from container portion 34. After consumable assembly 18 isdepleted, pump portion 38 is removed from extrusion mount 30 andconsumable assembly 18 is removed from the loading bay of system 12. Anew consumable assembly 18 may then be mounted in the loading bay, andthe pump portion 38 of the new consumable assembly 18 may be insertedinto extrusion mount 30 for a subsequent build operation. As discussedbelow, the use of consumable assembly 18 removes several of thecomponents from system 12 that may degrade or otherwise have reducedefficiencies over multiple extrusion runs (e.g., liquefier tubes,filament drive mechanisms, and extrusion tips). This allows newcomponents to be used with each consumable assembly 18 that is loadedinto system 12.

In an alternative embodiment, system 12 may be a component of a machine(not shown) that performs non-rapid prototyping/manufacturing processes.For example, system 12 may be part of a machine that performs milling orsheet metal forming, where system 12 is configured to deposit layers ofthe build material onto one or more portions of the milled/formed parts.Accordingly, system 12 may be part of a larger assembly system thatperforms multiple steps to form parts in a continuous or batch manner.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are respectively front and rear perspective views ofconsumable assembly 18. As shown, container portion 34 of consumableassembly 18 includes outer casing 40, data chip 42, and tube connector44. Outer casing 40 is an encasement structure that retains the supplyof the build material filament (not shown in FIG. 2 or 3). Outer casing40 is desirably a rigid or partially-rigid structure to protect theretained filament from physical damage (e.g., during transit). Whileouter casing 40 is shown as a rectangular package, outer casing 40 mayalternatively exhibit a variety of different geometric shapes (e.g.,cylindrical) to accommodate a variety of different loading bays forsystem 12 (shown in FIG. 1). Due to the consumable nature of consumableassembly 18, outer casing 40 is desirably fabricated from one or morelost-cost materials that may discarded or recycled. Examples of suitablematerials for outer casing 40 include polymeric materials (e.g.,polyethylenes), thin-film metals (e.g., aluminum-based sheets andfoils), paper-based materials (e.g., paper, cardboard, and boxboard),and combinations thereof. In one embodiment, outer casing 40 is apackage commercially available under the trademark “TETRA PAK” fromTetra Pak International SA, Switzerland.

Data chip 42 is an integrated circuit chip that engages with a datareader located in the loading bay of system 12. This allows system 12 todetermine the type and amount of build material filament that remains inconsumable assembly 18. Data chip 42 is also suitable for measuring theamount of filament fed to system 12 from container portion 34 during abuild operation. Suitable integrated circuit chips for data chip 42, andsuitable techniques for using the integrated circuit chips, includethose disclosed in Swanson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,776,602. Tubeconnector 44 is a connection point that is secured to guide tube 36,thereby allowing the build material filament to be fed to guide tube 36.In one embodiment, outer casing 40, tube connector 44, and guide tube 36provide a moisture seal that prevents the transmission of moisture fromexternal environments to locations within container portion 34 or guidetube 36. This allows moisture-sensitive build materials to be used forbuilding 3D objects (e.g., 3D object 20).

Guide tube 36 is a flexible tube that includes first end 36 a and secondend 36 b for interconnecting container portion 34 and pump portion 38.As shown, first end 36 a is connected to tube connector 44, and secondend 36 b is connected to pump portion 38. Guide tube 36 desirably has alength between first end 36 a and second end 36 b that allows pumpportion 38 to move around in a horizontal x-y plane within build chamber22 of system 12 (shown in FIG. 1) while container portion 34 is mountedin the loading bay of system 12. Additionally, guide tube 36 isdesirably flexible enough to allow pump portion 38 to move around in thehorizontal x-y plane within build chamber 22 without substantial biasingresistance. Examples of suitable materials for guide tube 36 includepolyethylenes, polyvinylchlorides, fluoropolymers, polyamides, nylons,and combinations thereof. In embodiments in which build chamber 22 isheated during the build operation, guide tube 36 is also desirablythermally resistant to the temperature of build chamber 22, therebypreventing guide tube from thermally degrading during the buildoperation. As discussed below, in some embodiments, guide tube 36 mayinclude electrical connections for one or more components of pumpportions 38 (e.g., for heaters, temperature sensors, and drive motors).

Pump portion 38 is the extruder portion of consumable assembly 18, andincludes casing 46, drive mechanism 48, liquefier region 50, andextrusion tip 52. Casing 46 is a protective casing secured to guide tube36 for retaining guide tube 36 to pump portion 38. Drive mechanism 48 isa filament drive mechanism that engages with drive motor 32 (shown inFIG. 1) (e.g., a worm gear). Liquefier region 50 is the region in whichthe build material filament is melted via a thermal profile along thelength of the liquefier region 50. Extrusion tip 52 is the component ofpump portion 38 through which the melted build material extrudes tobuild 3D object 20. Pump portion 38 desirably exhibits dimensions thatmatch the internal dimensions of extrusion mount 30 (shown in FIG. 1).This allows pump portion 38 to be readily installed in extrusion mount30 (shown in FIG. 1) without extensive installation and calibrationrequirements. In one embodiment, pump portion 38 also includes anelectrical connection, thereby allowing liquefier region 50 to receiveelectrical power from system 12.

During a build operation, drive motor 32 causes drive mechanism 48 tofeed successive segments of the build material filament from containerportion 34, through guide tube 36, and into liquefier region 50. Whilepassing through liquefier region 50, the build material filament melts,and is extruded through extrusion tip 52. While the build materialfilament melts within liquefier region 50, the successive segments ofthe build material filament function as a piston to press the meltedbuild material through liquefier region 50 and extrusion tip 52. Whenthe build operation is complete, drive motor 32 and drive mechanism 48stop feeding the successive segments of the build material filament. Atthis point, if consumable assembly 18 is ready for removal, pump head 38is removed from extrusion mount 30, and consumable assembly 18 isremoved from the loading bay of system 12. Consumable assembly 18 maythen be discarded, recycled, or otherwise handled.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of container portion 34, whichfurther includes liner 54 and spool assembly 56. As shown, outer casing40 includes interior region 58 and bottom opening 60, where bottomopening 60 is an enclosable opening through which liner 54 and spoolassembly 56 may be inserted, thereby retaining liner 54 and spoolassembly 56 within interior region 58. Liner 54 is a moisture-sealingbarrier that is disposed within outer casing 40. Suitable materials forliner 54 include polymeric materials, metal foils, and combinationsthereof. In alternative embodiments, outer casing 40 and liner 54 may bereplaced with one or more layers that provides structural integrityand/or moisture resistance.

Spool assembly 56 is shown in an exploded view along axis 62, andincludes spool frame 64 and filament spool 66. Spool frame 64 includesframe components 64 a and 64 b, which may be secured together onopposing sides of filament spool 66 to rotatably secure filament spool66 therebetween. Filament spool 66 is a rotatable spool that contains asupply of the build material filament for building 3D object 20. Duringassembly of consumable assembly 18, the build material filament is woundonto filament spool 66, and filament spool 66 is rotatably securedwithin spool frame 64. A portion of the build material filament is thenfed through liner 54 and outer casing 40, and into tube connector 44(shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) and guide tube 36 (shown in FIGS. 2 and 3).Spool assembly 56 is then inserted within liner 54 and outer casing 40.In one embodiment, interior region 58 of outer casing 40 is dried tosubstantially remove moisture from within interior region 58. This maybe performed by placing consumable assembly 18 in a dry environment(e.g., a dry-air oven), and/or with the use of desiccant packagesinserted within container portion 34. Additionally, a dry inert gas(e.g., argon and nitrogen) may be introduced into interior region 58.Liner 54 and outer casing 40 are then sealed closed to prevent moisturefrom entering container portion 34 during transportation and storage.

In alternative embodiments, the filament may be provided in non-spooledarrangements. In these embodiment, spool assembly 56 may be omitted, andalternative filament supply structures may be used depending on thefilament packing arrangement. In further alternative embodiments, thefilament may be coiled or bundled in container portion 34 without theuse of filament supply structures.

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of consumable assembly 118, which isan alternative embodiment to consumable assembly 18, and respectivereference labels are increased by “100”. In this embodiment, pumpportion 138 further includes drive motor 168, which is secured to casing146 and is engaged with drive mechanism 148. As such, drive motor 168may be used in lieu of drive motor 32 (shown in FIG. 1), and drive motor32 may be omitted from system 12 (shown in FIG. 1). Accordingly, in thisembodiment, drive motor 168 is a component of consumable assembly 18,and may be discarded or recycled with consumable assembly 18 after use.

As further shown in FIG. 5, consumable assembly 118 also includeselectrical connection 170, which extends along guide tube 136 andinterconnects container portion 134 and pump portion 138. In thisembodiment, the data reader located in the loading bay of system 12 mayalso provide power to data chip 142, which may correspondingly relay theelectrical power from system 12 to pump portion 138 via electricalconnection 170. Accordingly, one or more components of pump portion 138(e.g., liquefier region 150 and drive motor 168) may be powered in thismanner. In this embodiment, controller 14 (shown in FIG. 1) alsoprovides command signals for drive motor 168 through data chip 142 andelectrical connection 170. The use of drive motor 168 and electricalconnection 170 increases the ease of operation when installing and usingconsumable assembly 118 with system 12.

FIG. 6 is a front view of unit 210 for building 3D objects with one ormore consumable assemblies, and is an alternative embodiment to unit 10(shown in FIG. 1). Respective reference labels are increased by “200”.As shown in FIG. 6, unit 210 further includes consumable assembly 272,which is a second consumable assembly mounted in a loading bay (notshown) of system 212. Consumable assembly 272 includes container portion274, guide tube 276, and pump portion 278, which engage system 212 inthe same manner as consumable assembly 218. Accordingly, pump portion278 is also retained by extrusion mount 230, thereby providing adual-extrusion head for system 212. As such, consumable assembly 272 maycontain a second material filament that may be the same or a differentcomposition to the build material filament of consumable assembly 218.In one embodiment, consumable assembly 272 contains a support materialfilament for building support structure 280, thereby providing verticalsupport along the z-axis for the layers of 3D object 220. In analternative embodiment, consumable assembly 272 may contain the samebuild material filament as contained by consumable assembly 218, therebyallowing system 12 to switch from consumable assembly 218 to consumableassembly 272 when the filament supply of consumable assembly 218 runslow. This allows the build operation to continue even when consumableassembly 218 runs out of the build material filament. In one embodiment,extrusion mount 230 includes a toggle mechanism to toggle between theoperations of pump portion 238 and pump portion 278.

FIGS. 7-13 are schematic illustrations of consumable assembly 318, whichis similar to and is an exemplary embodiment of consumable assembly 18(shown in FIGS. 1-4), where the respective reference labels areincreased by “300”. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of consumable assembly318, where outer casing 340 of container portion 334 is fabricated froma wine box, which provides structural protection and moistureresistance. As further shown, pump portion 338 includes bolts 382 andbracket 384. Bolts 382 are bolts that secure casing 346 of pump portion338 in a closed state. Bracket 382 is secured to casing 346 via one ofbolts 382, and enwraps a portion of first end 336 a of guide tube 336.This positions first end 336 a of guide tube 336 at a desired anglerelative to casing 346 for feeding the build material filament fromguide tube 336 to pump portion 338.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of container portion 334, where the bottomportion of outer casing 340 (i.e., opening 360) and liner 354 are openfor access to spool assembly 356. As shown, filament 386 is wound aroundfilament spool 366, where filament 386 may be any type of material forbuilding a 3D object or support structure with system 12. Examples ofsuitable build materials for filament 386 include any type of extrudablethermoplastic material, such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS),polycarbonate, polyphenylsulfone, polysulfone, nylon, polystyrene,amorphous polyamide, polyester, polyphenylene ether, polyurethane,polyetheretherketone, copolymers thereof, and combinations thereof.Examples of suitable support materials for filament 386 includesilicone-doped thermoplastic materials, and water-soluble materialscommercially available under the trademarks “WATERWORKS” and “SOLUBLESUPPORTS” from Stratasys, Inc., Eden Prairie, Minn.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of spool assembly 366 (with filament 386omitted) where frame component 364 a is removed. As shown, framecomponent 364 a includes axial connection point 386 a and perimeterconnection points 388 a, and frame component 364 b includes axialconnection point 386 b and perimeter connection points 388 b. Duringassembly, filament spool 366 is mounted onto axial connection point 386b, and frame component 364 a is closed over filament spool 366.Accordingly, frame portions 364 a and 364 b are secured together ataxial connection points 386 a and 386 b, and at perimeter connectionpoints 388 a and 388 b.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of spool assembly 366 (with filament 386omitted), where frame portions 364 a and 364 b are secured together. Asshown, when frame components 364 a and 364 b of spool frame 364 aresecured together, filament spool 366 is rotatably secured between framecomponents 364 a and 364 b, thereby allowing filament spool 366 tofreely rotate.

FIG. 11 is a top perspective view of guide tube 336 and pump portion338, which further illustrates the components of liquefier region 350.As shown, liquefier region 350 includes liquefier tube 390 and insulatedheater 392. Liquefier tube 390 is a thermally-conductive (e.g.,metallic) tube that extends between casing 346 and extrusion tip 352,and is the region in which filament 386 is melted. Insulated heater 392includes a heater (e.g., wire coil heaters and thermal blocks) extendingaround liquefier tube 290, and a thermally-insulative sleeve extendingaround the heater. As discussed above, the heater is electricallyconnected to a power source from system 12.

FIGS. 12 and 13 are top perspective views of guide tube 336 and pumpportion 338, where casing 346 is open to illustrate the internalarrangement of casing 346. As shown in FIG. 12, casing 346 includesfirst portion 346 a, second portion 346 b, and connector 392, whereconnector 392 interconnects first portion 346 a and second portion 346b. This allows first portion 346 a and second portion 346 b to closetogether to define casing 346. Suitable materials for fabricating firstportion 346 a, second portion 346 b, and connector 392 include polymericmaterials, such as those discussed above for guide tube 36 (shown inFIGS. 2 and 3). First portion 346 a includes drive mechanism cavity 394a and filament pathway cavity 396 a, and second portion 346 b includesdrive mechanism cavity 394 b and filament pathway cavity 396 b. Whenfirst portion 346 a and second portion 346 b are closed together, drivemechanism cavities 394 a and 394 b define an internal chamber forrotatably retaining drive mechanism 348, and filament pathway cavities396 a and 396 b define a pathway for feeding filament 386 from guidetube 336 to liquefier tube 390.

As further shown in FIG. 12, filament 386 is fed from guide tube 336 andinto the pathway defined by filament pathway cavities 396 a and 396 b.As shown in FIG. 13, while filament 386 is disposed in the pathway,drive mechanism 348 engages with filament 386, thereby feedingsuccessive portions of filament 386 to liquefier tube 390. The heater ofinsulated heater 392 then melts the material of filament 386, therebyallowing the melted material to extrude from extrusion tip 352 to builda 3D object or corresponding support structure. As discussed above, thecomponents of pump portion 338 remove several of the components fromsystem 12 that may degrade or otherwise have reduced efficiencies overmultiple extrusion runs (e.g., liquefier tube 390, insulated heater 392,drive mechanism 348, and extrusion tip 352). This allows new componentsto be used with each consumable assembly 318 that is loaded into system12.

Although the present disclosure has been described with reference topreferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize thatchanges may be made in form and detail without departing from the spiritand scope of the disclosure.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A consumable assembly for use in anextrusion-based layered deposition system having a moveable head mount,wherein the consumable assembly comprises: a container comprising: acontainer casing configured to be received by the extrusion-basedlayered deposition system at a location that is offset from the moveablehead mount, and having an interior region; and a filament spoolrotatably retained within the interior region, the filament spoolsupporting a filament; an extrusion head comprising: an extrusion headcasing, wherein part of the extrusion head casing is configured to beinsertable into and subsequently removable from the moveable head mount;and a liquefier coupled to the extrusion head casing including at leasta portion disposed outside of the extrusion head casing; a filamentguide comprising: a first portion coupled to the container; a secondportion coupled to the head; and a length between the first and secondportions, wherein the filament guide operatively couples the containerand the extrusion head and is configured to support the filament betweenthe container and the extrusion head; wherein the container, theextrusion head, and the filament guide are configured to remainoperatively coupled together upon removal of the consumable assemblyfrom the extrusion-based layered deposition system.
 2. The consumableassembly of claim 1, wherein the filament comprises at least a firstfilament portion that is wound on the filament spool in the container.3. The consumable assembly of claim 2, wherein the filament furthercomprises a second filament portion that extends from the container,through the filament guide, and into the extrusion head.
 4. Theconsumable assembly of claim 1, wherein the container casing comprises aconnection location, and wherein the first portion of the filament guideis coupled to the container at the connection location.
 5. Theconsumable assembly of claim 1, wherein the extrusion-based layereddeposition system further comprises a data reader, and wherein thecontainer further comprises a data chip configured to engage with thedata reader to allow the data reader to receive information from thedata chip.
 6. The consumable assembly of claim 5, wherein theinformation of the data chip comprises a thermoplastic material type forthe filament.
 7. The consumable assembly of claim 1, wherein theconsumable assembly is configured to engage with a drive mechanism ofthe extrusion-based layered deposition system.
 8. The consumableassembly of claim 1, wherein the extrusion-based layered depositionsystem further includes a heatable chamber and wherein the portion ofthe liquefier disposed outside of the extrusion head casing isconfigured to extend at least partially within the heatable chamber whenthe extrusion head is retained by the moveable head mount.
 9. Aconsumable assembly for use in an extrusion-based layered depositionsystem having a movable head mount, wherein the consumable assemblycomprises: a container comprising: a container casing configured to bereceived by the extrusion-based layered deposition system at a locationthat is offset from the moveable head mount, and having an interiorregion; a spool rotatably retained within the interior region; anextrusion head comprising: an extrusion head casing configured to beinsertable into the movable head mount in a replacably interchangeablemanner; a liquefier comprising: a first liquifier portion retained bythe extrusion head casing; and a second liquifier portion locatedoutside of the extrusion head casing; a filament guide having a firstportion coupled to the container and a second portion coupled to theextrusion head such that the first and second portions of the filamentguide are configured to remain respectively coupled to the container andthe extrusion head when the consumable assembly is removed from theextrusion-based layered deposition system; and a filament comprising:compositionally, a thermoplastic material; a first portion wound on thespool; and a second portion that extends from the container, through thefilament guide, and into the extrusion head.
 10. The consumable assemblyof claim 9, wherein the second portion of the filament guide isconfigured such that the second portion of the filament extends into theextrusion head casing at a non-linear angle relative to an axis of theliquefier.
 11. The consumable assembly of claim 9, wherein theextrusion-based layered deposition system further comprises a datareader, and wherein the container further comprises a data chipconfigured to engage with the data reader to allow the data reader toreceive information from the data chip.
 12. The consumable assembly ofclaim 11, wherein the information of the data chip comprises athermoplastic material type for the filament.
 13. The consumableassembly of claim 9, wherein the extrusion-based layered depositionsystem further includes a loading bay at the location that is offsetfrom the moveable head mount, and wherein the container casing isconfigured to be received by the loading bay.
 14. The consumableassembly of claim 9, wherein the consumable assembly is configured toengage with a drive mechanism of the extrusion-based layered depositionsystem to drive the filament.
 15. A consumable assembly for use in anextrusion-based layered deposition system having a moveable head mountand a loading bay offset from the moveable head mount, wherein theconsumable assembly comprises: a container comprising: a containercasing configured to be received by the loading bay, and having aninterior region; and a filament spool rotatably retained within theinterior region; an extrusion head comprising: an extrusion head casingconfigured to be insertable into the moveable head mount; a liquefierretained by the extrusion head casing and comprising an extrusion tip; afilament guide comprising: a first portion disposed within the interiorregion of the container casing; a second portion disposed within theextrusion head casing; and a length between the first and secondportions, wherein the filament guide interconnects the container and theextrusion head such that the first and second ends of the filament guideare configured to remain respectively within the container and theextrusion head when the consumable assembly is removed from theextrusion-based layered deposition system.
 16. The consumable assemblyof claim 15, wherein the extrusion-based layered deposition systemfurther comprises a data reader located at the loading bay, and whereinthe container further comprises a data chip configured to engage withthe data reader to allow the data reader to receive information from thedata chip.
 17. The consumable assembly of claim 15, and furthercomprising a filament compositionally comprising a thermoplasticmaterial, and having at least a first filament portion that is wound onthe filament spool in the container.
 18. The consumable assembly ofclaim 17, wherein the filament further comprises a second filamentportion that extends from the container, through the filament guide, andinto the head.
 19. The consumable assembly of claim 15, wherein theconsumable assembly is configured to engage with a drive mechanism ofthe extrusion-based layered deposition system.
 20. The consumableassembly of claim 15, wherein the filament guide is coupled to thecontainer casing and the extrusion head.